A SPECIAL cafe will be open at Airedale Hospital next week so people can talk about death.

The initiative is being staged as part of national Dying Matters Awareness Week.

Members of the public and staff are invited to attend the venture, at the Friends of Airedale cafe – in the hospital's main entrance – between noon and 2pm on Thursday (May 11).

The palliative care team will be on hand.

There will also be a 'marketplace' event, featuring representatives from the hospital and other organisations including charities, bereavement and carers' support groups and funeral directors.

Fiona Widdowson, end-of-life care facilitator at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Every minute someone in the UK dies, but many of us still do not feel comfortable talking about dying.

"Many people have specific wishes about their end-of-life care or what they would like to happen to them after their death but are reluctant to discuss them, making it much less likely that their wishes will be met.

"Talking more openly about dying can help people to make the most of life and support loved ones.

"With people living for longer with life-limiting illnesses, discussing dying is increasingly important.

"If you don't talk to your loved ones about their wishes, you may be risking leaving it too late."